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rainbowfic2012-08-09 11:23 am
auguris) wrote in rainbowfic2012-08-09 11:23 am
Entry tags:
Lawn Green 13: Sunscreen
Name: auguris
'verse: After the World
Colors: Lawn Green 13: Sunscreen
Supplies and Styles: Pastels: Waiting
Word Count: 664
Rating: R for language
Warnings: None that I can think of.
Notes: My brain decided to take a break from Ghost Sight. I've been doodling with After The World for a while now; originally it was a zombie apocalypse, but now it's an alternative-universe-took-over-the-world-with-cyborgs apocalypse. Jean and Max have been traveling together long enough to upgrade from comrades-of-convenience to friends.
Jean awoke not in her bed but lying on rocky ground, the thin blanket a mere formality. The glowing embers of a dying cookfire provided the only light, but she could see the rock walls around her perfectly fine. The one useful side-effect of her near-conversion; but it didn't explain where she was beyond 'in a cave'.
She was alone, but the nearby pack belonged to Max. Her own, she found, had been an impromptu pillow. Not the first (or last) time it had seen such use. Max wouldn't have gone far without her or his stuff. Likely guarding the entrance, keeping watch. She knew she should feel safe, but she couldn't until she saw him, until she bridged the gap in her memory.
She considered changing, but the set of clothes in her pack was just as dirty and sweaty as the set she had slept in. Instead she retrieved her water bottle and spilled a bit of liquid into her hands. She rubbed the grime from her fingers and face before taking a swig of luke-warm water.
There was, thankfully, only one route to take. The temperature rose as she approached the entrance, hitting her in full when she stepped outside. Max sat nearby, just at the edge of the shade, his short brown hair wilting. Their shared rifle lay balanced in his lap.
"Hey. Feeling any better?"
Jean shrugged. "Why are you sitting out here?"
Max nodded off into the distance. A pair of coyotes tore into some poor dead animal. Hopefully animal. "They're keeping their distance for now, but I'm not taking any chances."
"Not much out here," Jean agreed. Hunger made everything desperate. She crouched next to Max, stifling a groan when her muscles let her know they were being abused. "What happened?"
"Couple of fly-catchers. We took 'em down but you got stung. When you weren't yelling at me or puking on me--"
"Ew. Sorry."
Max shrugged, but didn't hide his smirk. "You thought... well, whatever. You were fucked up. I had to knock you out, you wouldn't sit still."
June rubbed the side of her head. "With what, a rock?"
He laughed. "Morphine. You got that throwing yourself around."
Jean grimaced. "Sorry."
His shoulders shook. "Forget it."
They watched the coyotes eat, hoping for a sign that they were full. Jean couldn't keep herself from seeing human ribs, hairless skin, fingers poking up. They were too far to tell one way or another. Max peered through the rifle scope, but didn't share what he saw. A brief wind passed, stirring up grit and doing nothing to allay the heat.
"I wish we had sunscreen," Max sighed
"Sunscreen," Jean said, "is one of the few things the world hasn't run out of."
He narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't take the bait. Bastard. "Then why don't we have any? We live in a desert, and we're both pale as fuck. We glow in the dark. Why don't we have sunscreen?"
Jean shrugged. "Too busy with the whole 'surviving' thing."
"Do you think there's any left at that Wal-Mart?" Max adjusted his legs. "Got to be, who would go after it?"
Which was the point she'd wanted to make, but now she had a better one. "The more important question is, do I think someone is living there by now that doesn't want us sneaking into their new giant house? Because I'm thinking yes."
Max scowled at her. "Your sarcasm? Unappreciated."
"That's logic, not sarcasm."
"It's both, Jeannie."
It was her turn to scowl. "I'm shooting you the next time you say that."
"You keep saying that, and yet I remain unshot."
"One of these days I'm going to do it, and you'll be completely surprised."
"Ha, sure." Max stretched his arms. "Up to keeping watch? I didn't get any sleep."
Jean took the rifle. "Go ahead. I'll keep an eye out."
Max looked her over, assessing. He either agreed with her or was more tired than worried, heading back inside with a wave.
Jean sat cross-legged, grimacing at the movement. She lay the rifle across her lap. The coyotes might come, might not. Either way she was ready.
auguris'verse: After the World
Colors: Lawn Green 13: Sunscreen
Supplies and Styles: Pastels: Waiting
Word Count: 664
Rating: R for language
Warnings: None that I can think of.
Notes: My brain decided to take a break from Ghost Sight. I've been doodling with After The World for a while now; originally it was a zombie apocalypse, but now it's an alternative-universe-took-over-the-world-with-cyborgs apocalypse. Jean and Max have been traveling together long enough to upgrade from comrades-of-convenience to friends.
Jean awoke not in her bed but lying on rocky ground, the thin blanket a mere formality. The glowing embers of a dying cookfire provided the only light, but she could see the rock walls around her perfectly fine. The one useful side-effect of her near-conversion; but it didn't explain where she was beyond 'in a cave'.
She was alone, but the nearby pack belonged to Max. Her own, she found, had been an impromptu pillow. Not the first (or last) time it had seen such use. Max wouldn't have gone far without her or his stuff. Likely guarding the entrance, keeping watch. She knew she should feel safe, but she couldn't until she saw him, until she bridged the gap in her memory.
She considered changing, but the set of clothes in her pack was just as dirty and sweaty as the set she had slept in. Instead she retrieved her water bottle and spilled a bit of liquid into her hands. She rubbed the grime from her fingers and face before taking a swig of luke-warm water.
There was, thankfully, only one route to take. The temperature rose as she approached the entrance, hitting her in full when she stepped outside. Max sat nearby, just at the edge of the shade, his short brown hair wilting. Their shared rifle lay balanced in his lap.
"Hey. Feeling any better?"
Jean shrugged. "Why are you sitting out here?"
Max nodded off into the distance. A pair of coyotes tore into some poor dead animal. Hopefully animal. "They're keeping their distance for now, but I'm not taking any chances."
"Not much out here," Jean agreed. Hunger made everything desperate. She crouched next to Max, stifling a groan when her muscles let her know they were being abused. "What happened?"
"Couple of fly-catchers. We took 'em down but you got stung. When you weren't yelling at me or puking on me--"
"Ew. Sorry."
Max shrugged, but didn't hide his smirk. "You thought... well, whatever. You were fucked up. I had to knock you out, you wouldn't sit still."
June rubbed the side of her head. "With what, a rock?"
He laughed. "Morphine. You got that throwing yourself around."
Jean grimaced. "Sorry."
His shoulders shook. "Forget it."
They watched the coyotes eat, hoping for a sign that they were full. Jean couldn't keep herself from seeing human ribs, hairless skin, fingers poking up. They were too far to tell one way or another. Max peered through the rifle scope, but didn't share what he saw. A brief wind passed, stirring up grit and doing nothing to allay the heat.
"I wish we had sunscreen," Max sighed
"Sunscreen," Jean said, "is one of the few things the world hasn't run out of."
He narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't take the bait. Bastard. "Then why don't we have any? We live in a desert, and we're both pale as fuck. We glow in the dark. Why don't we have sunscreen?"
Jean shrugged. "Too busy with the whole 'surviving' thing."
"Do you think there's any left at that Wal-Mart?" Max adjusted his legs. "Got to be, who would go after it?"
Which was the point she'd wanted to make, but now she had a better one. "The more important question is, do I think someone is living there by now that doesn't want us sneaking into their new giant house? Because I'm thinking yes."
Max scowled at her. "Your sarcasm? Unappreciated."
"That's logic, not sarcasm."
"It's both, Jeannie."
It was her turn to scowl. "I'm shooting you the next time you say that."
"You keep saying that, and yet I remain unshot."
"One of these days I'm going to do it, and you'll be completely surprised."
"Ha, sure." Max stretched his arms. "Up to keeping watch? I didn't get any sleep."
Jean took the rifle. "Go ahead. I'll keep an eye out."
Max looked her over, assessing. He either agreed with her or was more tired than worried, heading back inside with a wave.
Jean sat cross-legged, grimacing at the movement. She lay the rifle across her lap. The coyotes might come, might not. Either way she was ready.
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